O1uwapelumi

Synopsis:
In a world where Alphas rule with absolute power, Alpha Caidren Thorne stands above them all—a warlord feared for his cruelty, a ruler whose hands are stained with the blood of both enemies and kin. His lands are harsh, his rule even harsher, and his name alone is enough to strike terror into the hearts of those who hear it.

But there is a darker truth hidden beneath his legend.

Every Omega sent to him has perished.

No one knows why. No one dares to ask. Some whisper that his presence alone is enough to snuff out their fragile lives, that no Omega can withstand his brutality. Others say that he is cursed, doomed to be alone forever. But Caidren does not care. He has never let anyone close—not a mate, not a lover, not even his own people. His heart is stone, and his hands are weapons.

When the noble House Velmire is forced to offer him an Omega, they do not send their treasured daughter. Instead, they send Elias—an adopted outcast, a boy without a place in their world. Elias has spent his life alone, unwanted, and now, he is being sent to a fate worse than death.

And when he arrives at the Bloodfang Stronghold, he is welcomed by a scene of horror.

A man clothed in black can be seen writhing in agony. Blood soaking the ground. And standing above it all, delivering judgment with cold precision, is Alpha Caidren.

Elias’ fear takes root instantly. This man is no savior. He is death itself.

Caidren barely acknowledges him, dismissing him with a single glance. Another Omega. Another life that will soon disappear.

But Elias does not die.

Days pass. Then weeks. And for the first time, an Omega survives.

Elias is not weak. He is not fragile. He is not like the others. And against every instinct, every warning, Caidren begins to take notice.

What starts as indifference turns to fascination. What was once just another burden soon becomes something the Alpha refuses to let go of.

For the first time in his life, Caidren is afraid—not of war, not of death, but of the one thing he never thought he could have.

And when enemies rise and threaten to take Elias away, Caidren will burn the world to keep his Omega safe.

scarred by the Alpher, claimed by his touch.

The stronghold was never silent. Even at night, there was always movement—soldiers changing shifts, servants carrying out their duties, the distant clang of steel from the training grounds. But tonight, the usual hum of activity felt… different.

Elias sat on the edge of his bed, staring at the unlit fireplace, his fingers curled loosely against the coarse fabric of his sleeves. The air in the room felt heavier than before, pressing down on him with an unfamiliar weight.

Footsteps echoed in the corridor outside—measured, deliberate. He had heard the shuffle of new guards taking their posts earlier, their presence lingering just beyond the door. A precaution, they had told him. But against what?

He didn't ask. Questions led to answers, and Elias had learned that not all answers were meant to be known.

Still, he could feel it—the unease. It clung to the walls, wrapped itself around the torches that flickered along the hallways, sank into the whispered voices that passed just beyond his reach.

Then, as the night stretched on, the whispers grew.

At first, he thought it was his mind playing tricks on him, filling the silence with imagined voices. But no—the voices were real.

Low murmurs, hushed but urgent, weaving in and out of the darkness.

Elias shifted, straining to listen.

The words were fragments, barely audible. He caught only pieces, syllables that meant nothing on their own.

But the tone—the tone was unmistakable.

It laced their voices, hid beneath the surface of their quiet exchanges.

Elias exhaled slowly, forcing himself to relax, but the tension had already settled in his chest. His instincts told him to be ready. For what, he didn't know.

The guards outside had gone silent, standing rigid at their posts. The hallway, once alive with movement, had grown eerily still.

Elias wasn't the only one who had noticed.

Across the stronghold, Caidren stood by the war table, his expression unreadable as he listened to the latest report. His fingers tapped against the wood, slow, controlled movements that betrayed the storm within.

"It's begun again," Aedric murmured beside him. "They know it."

Caidren's jaw tightened. "And the soldiers?"

"Most won't speak of it outright," Aedric said. "But they feel it. The new recruits don't understand, but the veterans—they know what this time of the month means."

Caidren didn't respond. His gaze remained fixed on the map before him, though he wasn't really seeing it.

This was not a war of armies. This was something far worse.

Something that had been happening long before he had taken command.

And despite all his power—despite all his victories on the battlefield—he still didn't know who was behind it.

chapter 36: whispers